Wayland grads encouraged to write notes, 'get lost'

Monday

Jun 9, 2014 at 12:23 AM

By Ed HannanTown Crier Correspondent

WAYLAND – At the intersection of technology and tradition, the 197 members of this year's Wayland High School graduating class received their diplomas on Sunday afternoon.There were plenty of traditional elements to the commencement exercises, with speeches from Superintendent of Schools Paul Stein, Principal John Ritchie, School Committee Chairwoman Barb Fletcher, Valedictorian Anna Lifland, class president Melissa Kay and class representative Carley Durant.And the graduates kept up time-honored traditions such as spray painting the rock outside Wayland High School, senior skip day, the senior class cruise and even more recent ones such as going out for late lunch at Chipotle.The technology came from within the speeches themselves.While Fletcher advocated that graduating seniors adopt a new practice that would have them pen handwritten notes to those who helped them along their path to graduation, Stein acknowledged the widespread adoption of smartphones in his speech."I wanted to start this tradition by writing a handwritten note to you," Fletcher said. "'Thanks for giving us the chance to cheer, the chance to applaud, the chance to be amazed by your accomplishments, the chance to share a laugh with you, the chance to shed a tear with you, and the chance to let us get to know you and all you have to offer.'"The note doesn't have to be long or well-written, although that would be nice, but it does have to come from the heart. Actually, it's not a graduation requirement. I made that up, but I hope you'll take the time to show your appreciation for those who have helped you."Lifland used her speech to look back at milestones along the way."When we first met, some of us didn't know how to blow our noses. Now, we're on the verge of adulthood," Lifland said. "I've had a great time. I don't want it to be over just yet and I can't believe it is."Kay said the future is bright the entire class."We've come here today with the foundation for success. This gift will accompany us across the stage and for the rest of our lives," Kay said. "What will be important going forward is what's within us, not what's around us."Referencing the Nigerian abduction of 276 school-age girls from a classroom by the Boko Haram, Kay added, "We need to be a generation that applies our determination to solve world-wide problems."Durant referenced the passage of time."It's sad to think we never really appreciated all the great moments that happened to us until they had ended. We have all come here with dreams and look at how many of them came true. It's weird to think this moment is the one we have all waited for," she said. "Every morning, you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Which one sounds better to you?"In a speech that referenced getting lost while driving family members to various destinations, then having to use a smartphone to find his way home, Stein advised graduates, "Dump the app and get lost, at least for a bit. Once you experience getting lost, pay attention to your surroundings and your destination. Then you can use the app."Apps are shortcuts. They make things easy, but they don't teach you how to think."